Student's Guide to Cheap Eats: Central Square

Get take out:
Late night in lab? Many of the restaurants offer delievery or take-out service (some with no extra fee, although tipping the driver 10% is customary).

Avoid the crowds:
I especially enjoyed eating at the smaller establishments with friends because the sense of quiet and calm (versus the bustle of waiters trying to serve hundreds of people) made for a more relaxing evening. Also I found that we soon became "regulars" at some of these places and were always given or favorite table.

Quick Tips:

Change with the times:
There are three Chinese restaurants within a five minute walk that I love: Mary Chung's, Pu Pu Hot Pot, and Royal East. While Mary's consistently has a high quality of food (but no delivery), we started to notice our fourth year at MIT that at our favorite Royal East (because of the excellent scallion pancakes and no crowds) not only was the quality of all the dishes drastically improving but so were the numbers of people coming to the restaurant. We were completely miffed when we actually had to wait to be seated one evening. We felt like we should have gotten some special treatment for being loyal to them before they became hip for the "adult" crowd.

Odd days of the week:
It is important to remember that with small establishments they often take an odd day of the week off. Inevitably we'd plan to meet up at Mary's on Tuesday only to get there and remember that they take Tuesdays off. Calling ahead is always a decent plan although you can always just head to another restaurant in the area if it is closed.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting to Central Square:
Take the #1 bus which runs up and down Mass. Ave. or take the Red Line stop ("Central Square") on the subway although this drops you off about 10 minutes walk north of the restaurants I suggest.

Getting around Central Square:

On foot is best since there is limited parking on the streets. All of these restaurants are within 5-10 min walk of the MIT main campus. Watch out for bicyclists and rollerbladers. Use pedestrian walkways since drivers are quite aggressive.

Highlights:
Part of a popular Boston chain, Bertucci's features fresh brick-oven pizza in a variety of flavours, plus a selection of pasta dishes as well. The pizza here is really excellent and not greasy at all (unless you get pepperoni). Bertucci's uses quality cheese, which cuts down on the grease as well. There are really good toppings, such as broccoli and chicken with a white, not a tomato, sauce (my personal favourite), and they are always coming up with new or seasonal combinations such as one with prosciutto and artichokes (mmm . . . ). They also serve complimentary fresh-baked rolls, which are really yummy, and at lunchtime you get a complimentary salad as well. The restaurant has a good amount of seating (booths and tables with a combination of dark wood and cushioned seats) and walls painted in rich tones.

Making it a "Cheap Eat":
A large pizza is easy shared between two or three people, and with all the complimentary rolls, it is easy to eat for around $5 per person here. They also have takeout and delivery (which include rolls, butter, plates, and cutlery if you ask). For the even cheaper eaters, you can get a ball of pizza dough for $1 and then make your own pizza at home. Great idea for group parties: make-your-own pizzas with fresh crust. Mmm . . .

Special tips:
Try new flavours of pizzas--they have excellent combinations. Reservations aren't necessary, but they are a good idea during lunch and dinner times if you want to skip any chance of a wait. If you bring a large group, this is definitely a good idea.

Getting there:
Across the street from Royal East, just jog down Main Street from Mass. Ave. and it's on your right, or take the ADP shortcut from Mass. Ave. and turn left onto Main Street.

The low-down:
If you are trying to save money, the pasta is not a good option since it is $8 to $9 per plate and not that remarkable.

Highlights:
The Ethiopian Restaurant serves all food in little piles on one, big, spongy, pancake-like bread on a big tray. You are given a basket of the same spongy bread, which you use to pick up the food and eat with your fingers. It is a fun experience and quite a unique taste.

Special tips:
Ask the waiter how much to order. We ordered too much and then the owner made us sit there and eat it until we finished it all. I am not kidding!

Getting there:
It's right in Central Square by the T stop.

The low-down:
If you are not up for trying new food, save this for later. It's a really fun and rewarding experience if you are in the mood for something other than typical American fare.

Highlights:
Each of the three Chinese restaurants in the MIT end of Central Square is known for a particular appetiser, and in the case of Mary Chung''s, it''s the dumplings. I prefer them pan-fried, but a healthier option is to have them boiled. The overall quality of food is very high, and thus the restaurant is well patronised and has a busy takeout service. Although booking in advance is not necessary, you might have to wait 10 to 20 minutes on a popular night or at a peak time. All the dishes are good, but my favourites are the mu shu pork and the cashew chicken.

Making it a "Cheap Eat":
Aside from carry-out, the portions are very generous, and even if you eat in, don''t be shy in asking for a box to take the rest away. The meals are around $6 to $7 per entree (rice has to be ordered separately), so if you spend $10 on the food but eat it for two meals . . . We also save by getting an appetiser and one entree and then sharing that among two people, or by getting two dishes to share among three people.

Special tips:
Check what day of the week Mary''s is closed. I think it''s Tuesday, but we ALWAYS forget. Also keep an eye out for Mary--she oversees the whole operation and maintains a great restaurant. Remember to order rice or noodles with your meal since the main dishes are just that.

Getting there:
Just north of the MIT Campus on Mass. Ave. (the big street), it is on the west side of the street just after Main Street joins Mass. Ave.

The low-down:
The only concern with Mary''s is that it is usually more full than the other restaurants because it is very good, it is very well known by the MIT community, and it has only a moderate amount of seating. It''s worth the wait, though.

Highlights:
Don't be deterred by the name--Pu Pu's is one my favourite establishments. Although it survives on a busy delivery and takeout service to the MIT and Central Square community, the little restaurant with big glass windows seats fewer than 20 people and is rarely full. The appetiser special here is crab rangoons, which in combination with the orange "duck sauce" are absolutely to die for!! We usually get crab rangoons and one other dish for two people. The orange chicken is good, but we ODed on the ginger chicken once--too much ginger for our blood. The quality is not as high, but the staff is great, and those who choose to eat here over the more popular Mary Chung's feel quite possessive about it. There is also some charm in eating in the small dining room. The pale walls with a Chinese wall hanging or two are strangely pacifying while watching the buzz of Central Square through the large windows.

Making it a "Cheap Eat":
The food is definitely the cheapest here and the portions are large. The delivery service lasts at least until 11pm, and we often order the appetiser and main and then cook our own rice while we wait for the delivery. Dishes range from $4 to $9 or so, while most are around $5 or $6.

Special tips:
Ask for recommendations from the menu, as the quality does go up and down. Also, it's customary in Cambridge to tip the driver $1 or $2 (or 10%, whichever is larger) for deliveries. Even when trying to save money on a cheap eat, remember to factor this in as a cost.

Getting there:
Pu Pu's is on Main Street just where it joins Mass. Ave. It's next to the Toscanni's ice cream (great for dessert!).

The low-down:
The quality is not as high as at Mary's or Royal East, but the staff is very friendly and the delivery service is excellent.

Highlights:
Royal East is yet another favourite Chinese restaurant in the MIT/Central Square neighbourhood. The amazing appetiser here is the scallion pancakes. They are not always listed on the menu, but the restaurant always has them. They are divine--especially with the brown soy sauce served with them. They are perfect for two people sharing, but it can get kind of tense when you have only one order for three people. The overall quality of the food took a dramatic leap my fourth year at MIT, when we suddenly noticed that all the dishes were exceedingly good. Royal East has a lot of seating, with a whole other banquet room that can be opened up for special functions. There's even large round tables for groups of a dozen or so, with a lazy Susan in the middle that allows you to spin the dishes around and sample them all.

Making it a "Cheap Eat":
Delivery and carry-out are an option, but it is a very comfortable restaurant to sit in and the service is excellent (there is somebody whose only job is to make sure all the water glasses are full). We usually get one order of scallion pancakes, one main dish, and rice for two people, which works out to around $5 per person. Two dishes for three people or just taking home the leftovers is a money-saving option as well.

Special tips:
If there during the day, try to get one of the tables near the windows. The portions are really large, so ask for a take-home box. There is also the option of seafood on the menu, and the restaurant even has its own lobster tank--although I've never tried this before.

Getting there:
Royal is about a 5-minute walk down Main Street from the point where Mass. Ave meets Main Street on the right-hand side. If coming from the MIT campus up Mass. Ave., take a shortcut at the ADP fraternity; Royal East is about 5 minutes down on the corner when you hit Main Street.

The low-down:
Now that Royal East is known as good by others outside the community, it may be wise to call ahead if you don't want to wait to be seated.